


Cold Brew

by Animillion



Category: Dr. STONE (Anime), Dr. STONE (Manga)
Genre: Assisted Suicide, Crying, Death Coffee, Deja Vu, Eavesdropping, Flashbacks, Fluff, Happy Ending, I promise, M/M, Major character death - Freeform, Mentions of Death, Reincarnation, Senku’s POV, Soulmates, Suicidal actions, TKS - Coffee Shop AU, TKSMayEvent2020, TKSevents, TheKingdomofShipping, first person POV
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-10
Updated: 2020-05-10
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:02:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24102556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Animillion/pseuds/Animillion
Summary: Senku and Gen want to be with each other for a thousand lifetimes and more. What’s a little bitter amongst the sweet?
Relationships: Asagiri Gen/Ishigami Senkuu
Comments: 6
Kudos: 46
Collections: TKS - 2 Weeks of Prompts (all ships) + Problematic Free For All (all ships and dynamics) - May 2020





	Cold Brew

**Author's Note:**

> I heard that soulmates will always try to find each other again in the next life without knowing.
> 
> Also I was listening to an hour mix of “chill” music while writing and the coincidence of the music theme to the writing was so much it made me emotional and cry. Anyways please feel free to listen to it while you read or after to get the vibe.
> 
> [Chill Vibes that made me cry](https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=RLWcYADoV84&list=RDAMVMRLWcYADoV84)

“Welcome!”

I never thought my life would change so suddenly. 

-

I was out with my friend. Well, I say friend but it was clearly becoming something more than that. Neither of us will admit the truth and I count every second of everyday that we don’t establish some sort of truth. 

“Senku-Chan don’t you think the new theatre is errific-tay!” 

His smile was so bright that night. Brighter than any watt I’d ever seen. It wasn’t the city lights that were blinding me. It was him. It was the short distance between us. The way our hands carefully grazed each other. I felt like a fool. It’s not often I have feelings I can’t clearly express. 

Feelings that are lost on my tongue. Because when he gets closer my heart speeds up. 

I wonder if he feels this way too. Just happy standing next to me. 

“Watch out!” 

We were crossing the road. Is that all it took between life and death? For a single driver to be unobservant to the people crossing. Of course. I didn’t see his face. I fell to the ground and heard the screeching of tires, a loud unbearable _thunk_. Then I look back. He was gone. 

The ambulance arrived too soon. They pried me away from him. Forced my hands from his dyed black hair. Forced me to let go. 

But I never did. 

-

“Did you hear about the new coffee shop in town?”

“No way! We should go!”

“Wait- you’re not talking about the one you get to from a creepy back alley right? Don’t ever go there! I heard it’s not a coffee shop at all!”

“What?”

“Apparently it’s disguised as a coffee shop to lure people to their death.” 

From across the small fast food restaurant I watch three girls chat as quick as lightening. It’s not the first time I’ve heard of the superstition. Certainly wouldn’t be the last. Coffee has never been my favorite, but the rumor did pique my interest. A morbid curiosity of sorts. I didn’t know what part of town they were talking about, nor did I know the alleys well. Yet I managed to find it. 

To me, it looked normal. Getting to it from an alleyway was just an unfortunate quirk I guess. The menu outside was covered in child’s handwriting. Chalk littering the feet of the sign where they have been allowed to draw all over it. I don’t read the sign. I don’t have to. Cold brew with vanilla cream. Basic enough but that’s how I like my coffee. 

I walked in having thought I’d cleared the superstition. Not like the girls in the restaurant would care or know. Before I could get my phone out for a photo, I felt my body run cold. My feet glue to the floor. The sweet jingle of the door bell was mocking. 

“Welcome!” 

I open my mouth but there are no words. It’s been a year since I’ve seen him. His hair is no longer dyed, giving it that cute monochrome look. A strip of white hanging down and pressing against his chin. I knew he was insecure of it. He was always trying to keep up that damn persona of his. I thought it’s possible I may have died as well. But I feel my feet against the sole of my shoes and smell coffee in the air. It’s chilly. Like the outside air and filtered in and it became autumn. 

“Gen?” 

He seems shocked that I know his name and glances down at his shirt to see if he is wearing a name tag. But I follow up, because this can’t possibly be him. 

“The famous magician who died last year, sorry, you just look...” So like him I could bet money you’re the same person. Does he not want me to know him? Does he know who I am? Am I hallucinating?

He laughs, awkward, but his smile grows as I approach the counter. “What can I get for you today?”

My staring is obviously making him uncomfortable. But it’s hard not to. I feel the uncomfortable desire to cry. I force it back. 

I tell him what I want. He seems so confident and sure of himself as he takes my money. When I reach out for my change his fingertips graze my palm. Cold. His hands are terribly cold. Like how the warmth left his body that night. I hear the chime my heartstrings create. 

I finally take a glance around the shop as I wait. It was normal too, save for the old crooked flooring. Wooden seats polished and new. They look dusty. The place looks near abandoned aside from the two of us. 

Realizing this, I speak up again as he works on my order. 

“Actually,” he’s putting the lid on it, setting it across the counter. Before he can move back, I reach out for his hand. Holding it against the cup, “you sound like him too, Asagiri Gen.”

His eyes go wide. Clearly he wishes for me to leave, but I can’t. I can’t leave. Not when he’s right here in front of me. A year after he _died_. His hand is ice cold. I feel freezer burn just from this simple touch. 

“I’m sorry sir, I don’t know who you’re talking about.”

“You can’t lie to me, from the moment I said it you’ve known... it’s you, Asagiri Gen.”

We’re quiet for a moment. 

“Most people can’t tell,” he starts, “I guess I used to dye my hair to hide the real color.” 

I let him move his hand away. He plays with the white length of his hair. He smiles at me, but not happy. Not blinding. It’s the most depressing expression I’ve ever witnessed. 

“You’re persistent, so I’ll tell you about this coffee shop here... the coffee shop for the dead, that’s what I’ve concluded at least.” 

“The dead?”

You’ve gotta be kidding me. I must be dreaming. This is a nightmare. 

“I don’t quite understand how it works myself but... for a little while everyday... this place grants me the wish to see the living again... I don’t know how I died or why I woke up here but..” 

“Hold on- what?”

“Every day I open all the things I need seem to reappear without a hitch. The money, the food, the machine equipment... honestly it might be hell, having to work food and beverage for all eternity but I...” he trails and stares at me. I’m waiting for the punchline. Waiting for him to tell me this is all a dream and I can wake up now. Or that I’m dead and my eternal punishment is to see him again.

“I’m sorry,” I regain my attention, “were we friends? I... haven’t figured out what I would do in this situation.” 

“You don’t remember?”

“No... I don’t remember anything from my time on earth other than my name.”

I stare at him. I do want to cry, but I can’t. “Yeah, we were friends.”

I visit him everyday. And every day I return to the coffee shop I gain his trust again little by little. He doesn’t want to talk about his life. I wouldn’t either. It’s sad. The selfish part of me can’t bother with the fact that me seeing him everyday is also depressing. I fix my schedule around it. He’s not busy. The coffee shop is slow. I’ve never seen another soul in there but us. It’s like a little paradise. A place carved out in between space and time that allowed us to see each other again. 

He sits at the tables with me and talks about what it’s like when he can’t work. Cold, he says. Cold and lonely. 

“You’re hands are warm Senku-Chan.” 

I feel a blush grow over me. Warm and embarrassed. It’s been so long since I’ve heard that pet name in person. He’s unapologetic about it, like he hadn’t realized he said it. I let it slide and hold his hands until the coffee shop is supposed to close. They slip through each other and he’s gone. I let hot wet run down my cheeks despite him _supposedly_ still being there. 

I leave and return the next day to an interesting conversation. 

“The coffee I sell is magnificent right?”

“Yeah, the best actually.” I’d never really liked coffee as much. But I could be influenced by other things here. 

“But its special... I found out drinking too much coffee prepared by a ghost makes you turn into one yourself.”

I take it as a joke at the time. But it seems he’s very serious about what he’s saying. And without thinking I drink more coffee than I had before. I don’t enjoy the idea of dying. But I never wanted to be separated from him either. So I ignore it. Ignore how many days pass, how many cups. The worried stare and the hesitant creation he gives me. The slow chill of my breath in the mornings. 

“Senku Chan, I don’t want to give you this.”

He holds my cup in his hands from across the table. 

“Is that the last cup?” My body is uncontrollably shaking. My teeth chatter together and I have to take a deep breath to become still. 

“Senku-Chan..” he’s shaking. “I told you that I don’t know how this works, I don’t know what happens when you actually...”

I hold out my hand. It trembles yet I’ve never been more sure in my life. He moves away and I stand, frustrated. I have a working theory. If I’m able to actually die because of coffee made by him, I would hope it means I’ll be able to be with him for the rest of.. whatever the hell is after this. 

He quickly makes his way behind the counter as if I’m unable to go there. “I won’t let you Senku-Chan, you need to keep living.”

“But don’t you think there’s a reason all of these things are happening at once? The shop, me coming here, the death coffee?” I care about life more than I can say. But this beating heart has been dragging around all too long. I know what I want. From the moment I walked in this place months ago. Him. Gen. I can’t take the illogical romantic bullshit thats hurting me any longer. 

“If you die who’s going to visit me!”

What? 

“If you die I’ll.. be alone again.. I’m afraid I’ll forget you- you’ll forget me, I wasn’t going to say anything, but ever since you’ve started visiting me everyday things have just been... so warm.” He’s trembling, but I deduce it’s not from the cold. “In my other life I’m sure.. we were together weren’t we Senku-Chan? As a couple?”

“No, we weren’t.” And that is my fault. I should have held him as close as I was able to then. 

“Then how do you explain how nervous I am around you? How excited I am when you finally show up for the day.. Senku Chan I’m sorry if I never said it before but I love you.” 

Oh. My heart is beating fast in my ears and all I can do is fail to smirk and end up smiling at him. I’m such a fool falling head over heels for him twice. He’s so adamant to keep the cup away from me, holding it to his chest like a baby bird. But he did make it, which means he changed his mind at the last moment to spare my life. 

“That’s my line.” I traverse the floor to move behind the counter. “Give me the cup.” I hold out my hand for it again. I don’t force him back like his eyes say I’m going to. “Trust me, I won’t leave, you won’t forget me.”

He looks at me unsure. There are tears slipping down his face as he hands it over. 

The taste of sweet vanilla has become the taste of him to me. The coffee slips past my tongue. It’s cold and so am I, but something within me is warm, fuzzy. 

I don’t stop to breath. I won’t need to for long. When I finish he’s holding his face in his hands. I go to him, laying my hands on his shoulders. 

“I’m right here so look at me.” 

The sun is going down and I can feel him slipping through my fingers. My eyelids are heavy but I keep them open to look at him. 

“I love you too, I should have said it before.” 

He looks surprised. His pupils dilating as a soft pink lays over his face. Perhaps it’s just his souls remembrance of how to express embarrassment. 

“Senku-Cha-“ 

He’s gone. But it doesn’t hurt as bad today. I glance around the empty shop. I pat my stomach a moment, remembering what is to come. I don’t pick up my bags on the way out this time. 

I see that Byakuya sent me an email when I return home. I stare at it for awhile. Aside from Gen he was definitely one of the people I am the closest to. I reply almost too fond for my own comfort, but not enough for him to notice. Hell, he’ll probably be ecstatic that I even replied so quick. 

I go to bed early, I’m terribly tired and my bones ache within my skin. I close my eyes for the last time and smile. I’ll see him soon. 

-

“Cold brew with vanilla?” 

I look up tired from my phone. I’ve pulled an all nighter again and of course I need a little pick me up. It’s just turned autumn but a cold drink is just what I need right now. When I look up I meet my barista’s eyes. They’re almost dazzling and I wonder if I’ve seen them before. 

I glance at his name tag and he glances at the name on my cup. We exchange smiles. Not the awkward customer service ones. The awkward, shy, I think you’re cute smiles. 

“Senku-Chan,” something makes my body freeze- how did it sound so casual yet so familiar? I should be offended but there’s something warm crossing my face. “I left you a gift on the receipt.” He probably needs to start making more drinks but he hasn’t left that spot since I’ve stepped up for my own. 

“Yeah, okay, I’ll be sure to use it, Gen.” It’s his number. I have a feeling I’ve been in a similar position before. Him behind the counter and me feeling flustered as hell to see him. 

I sit at a table and immediately shoot him a text. Perhaps this was simply fate, and my illogical romantic feelings are playing right into that thought. 

-

The day I realize we are soulmates we’re walking through a cemetery. Yeah, it’s not a date and it wouldn’t be a perfect one either. My father is buried here. It’s not a place I particularly like to visit. But it is where he’s buried. 

He said he wanted to join me. I don’t know how sure he is of himself now. 

I stand in front of Byakuya’s grave and smile. I tell him how he was the best father anyone could ask for and some days I felt as if I had taken him for granted. I look to him. The sun illuminates his porcelain face. He’s just as sad about being here as I am and he’s not afraid to show it. Eyes squinted trying to hold back tears. Trying to forfeit his sadness to saltwater where I cannot. 

“He raised a great son, I think he would be happy just to hear that you are.” Yeah, that sounds like him. 

And just as his empathetic tears hit the cement beneath us I see a thousand of him. I knew them all in every inch of my heart and soul. This guy is my soulmate, I think, I want. My heart skips a beat and I take his hand much too quick. He’s obviously confused. But I squeeze his hand tight. 

“I’m happy with you.”

It’s like music when he laughs. The gloom scratching at the heels of our feet vanish and the air becomes light. 

“You’re so cheesy Senku-Chan- you hear that Byakuya-San? Senku-Chan’s with me now so you don’t have to worry anymore.”

It was more true than he knew. I smile and wipe those tears from his eyes. In them I can see a thousand of me reflecting back. I wonder if he sees it too, if he remembers and feels the thousand lives we’ve lived together. 

“I’m happy too,” he says, “I’m happy with you.” 

“Who’s being cheesy now?”

We laugh together. It feels so familiar and warm. Being by him is so familiar and warm. I don’t know how many lifetimes I’ll get to know him. I’ll hold him as close as I can now. On our way back. On our next date. Whenever I can. Because I never want it to end. And I have a feeling he doesn’t either.

**Author's Note:**

> Ahh I hope you liked that!! I know the tags are a little scary but I did promise a happy ending XD Just wanted to cover my basis cause I know there’s a lot going on XD Comments and kudos appreciated <3


End file.
